subject: Practice Safe Parking: Cover Yours Up [print this page] The world is full of hazardsThe world is full of hazards. Walk down the wrong alley in Queens, and an air conditioner can fall out a window and turn your brains into sidewalk art. Eat a badly filleted puffer fish, and you'll be face down on the table before they serve the green tea mochi. Get out of bed in the morning, and a black mamba might sink its veins into your ankle. The potential risks are nearly limitless.
However, it's mighty unlikely that a venomous snake is chilling under your Ethan Allen platform bed. Some dangers are far too remote to worry about. Besides, there are plenty of real risks to watch out for during your everyday activities. One of the deadliest of all: parking in a lot without a car cover.
You might be thinking to yourself: well, most Chevys and Dodges in parking lots aren't draped in a Chevy car cover or a Dodge car cover. You're right. They aren't. But have you taken a close look at most Chevys and Dodges next to you in the parking lot? They're as pock marked as Charles Bukowski's cheeks forever scarred from years of runaway shopping carts, door body-checks and fender-benders. Why? Because they left themselves exposed not only to other drivers, but also to the elements.
Most of the problems your car, truck or SUV faces in a parking lot are manmade. Not to speak ill of others, but a lot of people out there simply don't know how to respect other people's property. They don't pay attention to how wide they're opening their door, and all of a sudden you've got a jagged red line indented into your oyster white finish. It happens every minute of every day.
Now, you could either leave your car parked at home and take public transportation like a hippie, or you could take some proactive measures to defend your property. Like a mobile garage, a car cover puts up a solid line of defense between your auto and the world around you. Not only does it provide some cushion against the minor pushin' of car doors, it also blocks harsh sunlight from scorching the clear coat and giving your hood and roof a case of automotive eczema. Plus, car covers stop gooey bird drizzle and sticky tree sap from leaching into your paintjob.
When you're looking around for a car cover, one thing to consider is the thickness of the fabric. While a thinner material is easier to slip on and off, it won't absorb impacts as well as a thicker car cover.
